Egyptian Journal of Biology, 2010, Vol. 12, pp 108-124 Printed in Egypt. Egyptian British Biological Society (EBB Soc) ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Taxonomic review of the subfamily Pseudophloeinae (Hemiptera: Coreidae) from Egypt Hayam El Hamouly, Rabab F. Sawaby* & Hassan H. Fadl Entomology Department, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Abbassia, Cairo, Egypt. Abstract The members of subfamily Pseudophloeinae of Egypt were studied. Keys, descriptions, synonyms, distributions and host plants were given to clarify the status of each species. Eight genera and 14 species are recorded of this subfamily from Egypt. Scanning electron microscopy was used to compare between the subfamilies Pseudophloeinae and Coreinae. Keywords: Coreinae, Bathysolen, Strobilotoma, Arenocoris, Ceraleptus, Microtelcerus, Coriomeris, Loxocnemis, Bothrostethus, electron microscopy, scent glands.. Introduction The Coreidae (the leaf-footed bugs) is a large family in order Hemiptera, represented by 2200 species belonging to 500 genera in the world, and 344 species belonging to 84 genera in the Palaearctic region (Dolling 2006). Most coreids are fairly large (ca. 4 cm), relatively heavy- bodied insects, usually robustly elongate or broadly elliptical, characterized by many parallel veins in the membrane of the forewings, four segments to the antennae and rostrum, two ocelli, three-segmented tarsi, scent glands on the thorax between the mid- and hind-coxae, and a head narrower and often shorter than the pronotum (Schuh & Slater 1995, Dolling 2006). Steinbauer (1996) reported that most species are phytophagous, although occasional coprophagy is known. Globally, coreids cause significant loss of grain legumes, cucurbit crops and soft fruits and nuts. They are known to feed on plant vessels and its reproductive parts (Kumar 1966), but a few are reported to be predaceous. The Coreidae was established by Leach (1815) to include the Rhopalinae and Alydinae, retained as subfamilies for many years. Fracker (1918) divided the family into five subfamilies: Merocorinae, Pseudophloeinae, Corizinae, Alydinae and Coreinae. The phylogenetic scheme of Ahmad (1970) recognized as subfamilies the Coreinae, Colpurinae, Phyllomorphinae, Hydarinae, Pseudophloeinae and Procamptinae. The superfamily Coreidea was reviewed by Baraka (1989), but she did not divide the Coreidae into subfamilies. The present review divides the family into two subfamilies, Coreinae and Pseudophloeinae. The Pseudophloeinae are generally small and dull in colour; the head is produced anteriorly in front of the bases of the antennae; the pronotum is steeply inclined; and the pronotum, scutellum and hemelytra are roughly granulate, with each granule bearing small adpressed setae (Schuh & Slater 1995). In the present work we modified the existing keys which depend on the ratios of the antennal segments, supported by illustrations to clarify the taxonomic characters of each taxon. Materials & Methods Specimens were collected by sweeping and beating nets from their habitats. The collected specimens were pinned, labeled and identified. Some adult pinned specimens were photographed using a binocular microscope and digital camera. The species belonging to the subfamily preserved in Egyptian collections were examined and drawn. These collections are: Ain Shams University collection, Faculty of Science, Entomology Department (ASUC); Alfieri collection, El Azhar Univeristy, Faculty of Agriculture (ALFC); Cairo University collection, Faculty of Science, Entomology Department (CUC); Egyptian Entomological Society collection (EESC); and Ministry of Agriculture collection, Plant Protection Institute, Identification section (MAC). _____________________________________________________ * Author for correspondence email : [email protected] Hamouly et al.: The Pseudophloeinae (Hemiptera: Coreidae) of Egypt Scanning electron microphotographs revealed the head, legs and metathoracic scent glands of the two subfamilies Coreinae and Pseudophloeinae. These structures were dissected and dehydrated in ethanol. After drying, the materials were mounted on stubs, coated with gold and photographed with a JEOL JEM-100 scanning electron microscope operating at an accelerating voltage of 25 KV. Diagnoses and keys The subfamily Pseudophloeinae (Hemiptera, Heteroptera: Coreidae) are plant-feeding bugs inhabiting herbs and shrubs. It is represented in Egypt by 8 genera with 14 species. The main characteristic features of the Pseudophloeinae are as follows: oval, elongate species; head without a median sulcus; tylus and juga prominent and gently declivent (Fig. 3A); rostrum at rest reaching metasternum; posterior angles of 7th abdominal segment prominent in both sexes; tibiae not sulcate (Fig. 1B); hind femur with one or more spines on the distal third of the ventral surface (Fig. 1C); metathoracic scent-gland ostioles with a single large or two nearly fused auricles (Fig. 1D). The metathoracic glands are composed of a reservoir and a pair of lateral glands connected to the reservoir by a duct. They open to the outside through paired ostioles located between the 2nd and 3rd coxae, surrounded by an evaporative area composed of mushroom- like elements (Figs. 1E, 2E). Key to subfamilies of Coreidae 1 Head lacking median sulcus before eyes (Fig. 1A); hind femur with one or several subapical teeth (Fig. 1C), tibiae not sulcate on outer surface (Fig. 1B) metathoracic scent gland orifices with a single large or two nearly fused auricles (Fig. 1D) ............................... .............................................................................................................. Pseudophloeinae Stål - Head with median sulcus before eyes (Fig. 2A); hind femur without teeth or with two rows of small denticles (Fig. 2C); tibiae sulcate on outer surface (Fig. 2B); metathoracic scent gland not as above (Fig. 2D) ............................................................……… Coreinae Leach Key to genera of subfamily Pseudophloeinae 1 Body oval in shape; hind femora with at least a one conspicuous spine (Fig. 3B); 2nd antennal segment shorter than or as long as one half of the 3rd ........................................... 2 - Body almost oblong and sometimes oval or elongated; hind femora with several spines (Fig. 3C); 2nd antennal segment as long as or slightly shorter than the 3rd .......................... 4 2 Lateral margins of pronotum smooth (Fig. 3D); head and pronotum without humps or tubercles; 4th antennal segment oviform, shorter than 3rd (Fig. 3I) .......... Bathysolen Fieber - Lateral margins of pronotum and head with spines and tubercles (Fig. 4A) ....................... 3 3 3rd antennal segment tuberculate, with spreading bristles, about twice longer than the 2nd one, 4th one oviform and nearly as long as 3rd one (Fig. 3J) .................. Strobilotoma Fieber - 3rd antennal segment sulcate, with short thorns, about 3 times longer than the 2nd; 4th fusiform and shorter than 3rd (Fig. 3K,L) ................................................... Arenocoris Hahn 4 Hind coxae closely approximated (Fig. 3G) ........................................................................ 5 - Hind coxae for apart (Fig. 3H) ............................................................................................ 6 109 Hamouly et al.: The Pseudophloeinae (Hemiptera: Coreidae) of Egypt 5 Body oblong; membrane with many-branched costa; 4th antennal segment spindle-shaped, somewhat shorter than the 1st (Fig.3M); hind femora with 3-5 apical spines ....................... ..................................................................................................................... Ceraleptus Costa - Body oval; membrane with few-branched costa; 4th antennal segment fusiform, usually the shortest segment; hind femora with 2 apical spines ............................ Microtelcerus Reuter 6 Body elongated; pronotum trapezoidal in shape, its posterior angles at the sides of scutellum produced into a spine (Fig. 3E,F); antennal segments 1-3 nearly equal in length (Fig. 3N,O) ........................................................................................ Coriomeris Westwood - Body oblong; pronotum hexagonal, its posterior angles not produced into a spine; antennal segments 1-3 not nearly equal in length .............................................................................. 7 7 Fore femora with spines; 4th antennal segment longer than the 3rd, 2nd as long as 3rd (Fig. 3P) ........................................................................................................... Loxocnemis Fieber - Fore femora without spines; 4th antennal segment shorter than the 3rd, 2nd slightly shorter than 3rd (Fig. 3Q) .................................................................................. Bothrostethus Fieber Genus: Arenocoris Hahn, 1834 Arenocoris Hahn, 1834: Die wanzen. Ins. 2(5): 109. Atractus Laporte, 1834: sensu Curtis, legend to pl. 500. Pseudophloeus Burmeister, 1835: Handb. I & II: 301, 302, 308. Ammocoris Agassiz, 1848: Nom. Zool. Si. Ind. Univ., 48: 94. Psammocoris Marshall (1868) Ent. Mon. Mag., 4: 281. Boudicca Kirkaldy, 1909: Can. Ent. 41: 30 Type species: Coreus falleni Schilling, by subsequent designation of Blanchard, 1842: 312. Diagnosis: Body strongly depressed, ovate; body and appendages conspicuously granulated, head distinctly longer than pronotum, its lateral margins with spines and tubercles; antennifers divergent;